Hatred. It's all he seems to feel anymore. Not since...
Anakin -the name still doesn't feel quite right anymore- watches the streets below with a sharp eye. It's dark and he knew that unless someone were already looking for him, they'd never spot the crouched figure peering over the rooftops. They go along with their lives, chatting and speaking with such loud voices, he almost doesn't need his advanced gadgets to hear their words.
Another sweep of the city below and Anakin finally finds what he's looking for. He slips his electrobinoculars back into his hip pocket and jumps into the side alley, using the force to lighten his fall. He lands soundlessly, then continues to mask every footstep as he makes his way toward his target. Down the twisting alley a few blocks, then sliding into a fortunately unlocked window -he doesn't have time to try and pick the lock himself- Anakin finally stands in front of the person he's looking for.
"Zir Ca." He announces, his vocoder distorting his voice. The good thing is that it turns any emotion into a steady, neutral buzz. The bad thing is that it tends to also lack the intimidating factor his real voice holds.
The Kubaz shoots up, large goggles covering any emotion that can be read on his face, but Anakin can feel his fear through the force. He knows exactly why Anakin is here. People like them don't come to Bespin for any other reason. Zir curses, his hands running frantically over his belt as he goes for a gun, but Anakin is faster. He pulls out his own and walks forward until the end of the blaster is touching right between those round lenses.
"Jabba wants his money, Zir. And you're not running from him this time." The anger still filtered through the vocoder and the Kubaz shrunk away as best he can, but with the wall right behind him, he can only go a half step back. This office probably belongs to some wealthy business owner, or someone of similar value. There are documents all over the desk -likely what Zir had been after in his own mission- as well as expensive-looking artifacts that are either keepsakes from other planets, or something to simply show off this person's wealth.
She never boasted like that.
Anakin grits his teeth, shoving the blaster into wrinkled, grey flesh. "Start talking, Zir! Or I'll kill you and take everything you've got!"
"No!" Zir raises his hands, his snout bobbing with the vicious shake of his head. "No! I have it! Just give me a few-"
"Jabba's tired of waiting! And you know what, so am I. So, why don't I offer you a deal?" The Kubaz is still trembling with every word, unusually afraid for a fellow bounty hunter; but then again, Jabba isn't someone to take lightly. Anakin knows that better than anyone. "Would you like that? To cut a deal with me?"
Zir doesn't answer.
Anakin settles against the side of the desk, almost casual as he takes three even breathes. "You don't have the money, do you." He already knows the answer, but when Zir doesn't respond, he pressed again. "You don't have it, do you!"
"I don't!" Zir finally admits, doom spelled in the pitiful whines that escape him. "I lost it to the empire! I had to pay a fee for crossing through their airlines! But I'll get it as soon as I sell these documents! I swear it!"
Originally, Anakin planned to cut Zir off the hook with a little trade-in of his own. For Zir's loyalty, he would keep the Kubaz out of harm's way -debt wise, at least. It would add another name to the too short list of other hunters willing to finally scratch the Hutt name from the outer rim's history. To free everyone the clan has kept under their powerful thumbs. To free the slaves, like he should've done a very long time ago.
It's a gamble, Anakin knows that. Making a deal with someone like Zir could spell death for more than just him and maybe...maybe it isn't worth it. He gave up information too easily. Crumbled at the first sign of a threat. Zir is good at his job, has a record of never getting caught; but after this display, Anakin has changed his mind.
"I'll relieve you of your debt then." And without another word, he pulls the trigger. He watches with cold apathy as Zir falls to the floor, his body twitching several times, until he stops. Anakin puts the blaster away, looking over the room for another second, before deciding this isn't worth getting caught over and starts erasing his tracks. Any sign of a boot print, any indication that a bounty hunter had been here at all. He has to make this look like an accident.
Once he's set the room back to its usual perfection, Anakin drags the body back through the alleys until he reaches a large enough waste bin that no one would notice a body rotting inside. Stopping just for a moment, Anakin searches through Zir's pockets, grabbing any credits he finds -he'll have enough to pay off the rest of the debt, which will hopefully please Jabba enough to keep the slug off of his tail- then prepares to fully dispose of the body.
But just as he starts lifting, something falls from Zir's clothes and Anakin pauses just enough to see what it was. It's a photograph, something odd to find on a bounty hunter. After throwing the body into the bin and tossing a few over bags over it as a half effort to hide it, Anakin picks up the photo, holding it up to eye level.
It'ss of Zir and another Kubaz. They didn't look too similar, likely not related by blood, but they are -were?- definitely close. It isn't someone Anakin recognizes at all, but definitely someone he'll have to find. Zir might've been a failure in the end, but this Kubaz could bring better chances.
But Anakin couldn't hold onto hope. He pockets the picture, then makes the steady walk back to his starfighter. Just the sight of it makes him smile, a motion that tugs irritatingly at his scars, but his fighter is worth the trouble. A Naboo N-1. Not the most discreet fighter, really, but as soon as Anakin killed her previous owner, he couldn't help himself. Even now, as he climbs into the pilot's seat, giving a quick nod to C5-P3, the controls feel so natural, like he belongs there.
It's romantic in a way.
A way he will never give a second thought to, however.
Pulling out of the busy hanger, Anakin easily makes his way into hyperspace, traveling back home for the first time in...too long, really. His heart is already sinking at the reminder of sand and twin suns and the slaves that he sees every time he walks back into Mos Espa, but it's all worth it because of one person. He would tolerate Tatooine's storms, the scramble for water and food, the shady figures around every dune, and even the Hutts, just for that one person.
His son.
Anakin never leaves his ship too close to the moisture farm. The nearby cities -any so-called city on Tatooine is laughable compared to Coruscant- draw in Jawas and Tusken Raiders. As soon as the suns fall, anything and everything is at risk of being killed or stolen and that includes Anakin's N-1. So, he has no choice but to park her on top of the wasteland mountains and take his speeder from there to the farm.
Again, it's all worth it, so long as he could return to Luke again.
As soon as Anakin steps down into the Lars house, he feels a shift in himself. He is no longer a heartless bounty hunter sent to do Jabba's bidding -or, at least that's what he left Jabba to think. Now, he's simply Anakin Skywalker and all of the complexities that the name brings with it.
"Daddy!" Anakin feels Luke's excitement before hearing the exclamation, but all the same, he kneels down to receive his son's embrace, hoping desperately that he doesn't feel the blaster at his side. Thankfully, Luke pulls away quickly -too quickly- and starts talking a mile a minute. "Daddy, I helped Uncle Owen today! All by myself!"
Anakin stands and moves to sit in the main room, pulling his hood down and dumping the sand from his shoes. C5 goes to his charger in the corner, seeming very happy for a moment out of hyperspace -something Anakin finds odd for an astromech who served in the Clone Wars. "How did you help Owen?" He taps the boot to get out the remaining grains, already knowing it won't do the trick.
"The vaporators were all-" Luke stops to make a clunking noise with his mouth, spit spraying as he does, "and then Aunt Beru said it was broken, but I helped Uncle Owen fix it! I handed him the tools and everything!"
At this, Anakin does smile. It's invisible behind the vocoder -he wishes so badly just to take the karking thing off and actually smile at his son for once- but Luke must see it in his eyes, despite the scarring. "That sounds like a big job, Luke. I'm very proud." And he means it. Every single word.
Anakin senses another presence and turns just as Owen walks into the room, his arms crossed over his chest. "He's getting pretty good at remembering the names of the tools." Despite Owen's light tone, something rubs Anakin the wrong way. Owen always seems to do that. He hides things in his tones, giving messages to Anakin in subtle looks and gestures. Things Luke wouldn't pick up on.
But Anakin swallows down the anger that rises, releasing it into the force. Owen isn't his enemy. He needs to remember that.
"Did you do anything else?" Anakin asks, carefully ignoring Owen's comment in favor of returning his attention to his son. The boy nods immediately, then runs away to grab whatever it is he has to show off.
But with the boy gone, Owen's relaxed expression falls into a slight glare. "You should wash up before touching him. I don't want Luke getting dirty." Again, his words hold a different meaning than what he's saying. They both know there's no real 'clean' on Tatooine. No, this is about the blood on Anakin's hands.
Anakin rolls up his pant leg, exposing the robotic limb underneath. Of course, there's sand lodged into every single crevice. He's not made for this planet and it's only become more annoying to live here after half of him was cut to pieces. He had that traitor to thank for it. The traitor who did nothing but spew lies of love and brotherhood-
Again, he pushes the anger down and releases it into the force. It only helps a fraction.
"When are you going to tell him?" Owen continues as if there was a conversation to begin with. "When are you going to admit that you don't really go away to formal events and fight for justice. When are you going to tell your son that you word for Jabba."
"I don't!" Anakin snaps, turning suddenly in his seat, his limb forgotten. "I would never work for that karking Sleemo! Not after what he did to my moth-"
"That doesn't change anything, Ani. Call it whatever you want, but you're still paying the slug. You're still doing what he wants."
Anakin stops, not because what Owen said made any impact -they've had this argument enough times for him to memorize every response- but because there's nothing left to say in return. There's nothing he can admit that will change Owen's mind. He won't see Anakin's work for what it is, only what he's allowed to know about it. Because as much as Anakin doesn't get along with his stepbrother, he still doesn't want him to become a target.
Turning back to his limb, Anakin brushes out as much sand as he can, then winces when every movement still grinds. He begins working on the second limb, ignoring how Owen's presence becomes even more frustrated.
"I just want Luke to stop these fantasies about his own father. I can't stand hearing him ask about what you're doing. Do you have any idea what that's like for me and Beru? We have to make stuff up! We can't tell him you're probably threatening someone over Jabba's money! We can't say anything other than lies!"
And you know how much I hate lying, Anakin adds without speaking. Silence passes over them once again, much to Owen's frustration, but before the lecture can continue, Anakin mutters, "Did Kenobi see me?" It's a sad attempt at changing the conversation, but it's a concern nonetheless. Every time he returns to Tatooine, he worries the former Jedi will see him, recognize him, or worse, feel him.
Their bond through the force is gone, but there's still the lingering paranoia.
"He's working now, you know that." Owen looks down and there's something in his gaze that isn't quite right. "He...he came to me yesturday. To the farm." Tension builds as Anakin waits for him to continue. "He talked to me about Luke's...midi-chlorian count. He said that once the time comes, he wants to train Luke-"
Anakin stands. This time, he does not release his anger. "I'd rather attempt to burn out the twin suns with a bucket of holes than let that Hutt-spawn train my son!"
Owen looks at him unimpressed, but there was a slight amusement too. "And that's what I told him. With...less colorful language. Even if Luke ends up with those wizard powers too, I don't want him becoming a Jedi. Especially now."
It gave a little reassurance, knowing Owen didn't sell his son to the man who abandoned him on Mustufar, but it was slight. "I need to get Kenobi off of this kriffing planet. He's too close to Luke." Anakin may not be the one hunting the Jedi anymore, but he's seen those who do. They aren't full sith, but they're nothing to scoff at.
He doesn't want Luke anywhere close to that mess. The mess he started.
"Sadly, I doubt that's gonna happen." Owen continues. "He won't leave if I tell him to."
And Anakin can't risk doing it himself. He's too weak to beat Kenobi in any kind of fight, even if he's been far more active over these past three years. His hold on the force is too unstable, wavering from light to dark in mere seconds. He'd lose himself again and...he can't let that happen. Not after what he did to...her.
Anakin lets out a long sigh, then corrects his chair. "He doesn't pose a threat just yet. And if he does, I trust you to deal with him." Owen nods absently. Their definitions of 'deal with him' are likely different, but that doesn't matter. So long as Kenobi gets far away from Luke, Anakin will let him live. "Until then, I need to-"
Luke comes running back in, various shaped objects falling out of his arms as he goes. He stops to pick one up again, then drops another. It's endearing and immediately Anakin feels himself relax. He stands once again to help Luke pick up his very important toys, then sets them on the table.
"Look!" Luke says, holding up one of them to show off. Anakin takes it from him and turns it over in his hand. It looks a mess of scrap to him, maybe a piece of one of the Lars' droids they tend to buy -nothing as good as C5- but after a moment, he can picture it as a starfighter. Luke continues to talk as he looked it over. "Uncle Owen helped me bend it into shape! See! It's an X-Wing!"
So, it is. Anakin sets it down again, looking at the others. But there's one thing..."They're a little sharp around the edges. I don't know if you should be playing with this." There isn't rust -the whole planet probably doesn't have enough moisture to rust anything- but Luke could definitely cut his finger. And then get all kinds of infections that come with living here.
Yet another reason letting Luke grow up here isn't a good idea. Not like he has much choice, though.
Luke ignores the comment, however, as he continues to explain why he's brought them all to the table. "Aunt Beru said I could paint them! Like real starfighters!"
That makes Anakin pause. "Paint them?" He looks to Owen, but blinks in surprise when he notices the man has left. He turns back to Luke, a little glad he's not being watched anymore. "How do you plan to get paint?"
The boy looks away shyly and Anakin once again smiles behind his vocoder. It lets out a hissing sound when he huffs a laugh at the innocent expression Luke gives him. He can't quite tell if it's genuine or not. "You could get me some, right, Daddy? There's probably a planet made of paint somewhere! You just have to get a cup full and bring it back!"
If only it were so simple. Even in the inner-core, paint is expensive. But...he does have Zir's credits still. He could give Jabba another excuse, tell him Zir ran off again -even if that would come at the cost of his reputation. But it's worth it. Anything is worth it for Luke.
With a slow nod, Anakin decides that's exactly what he'll do. "What color?" He asks, already knowing what the answer is.
"Green!" Luke shouts, beginning to jump up and down with excitement. "Just like C5! And maybe-maybe we can use some of it to paint him too! C5 probably needs it!" Luke turned to the astromech in question, getting a delighted deep in return. It is about time C5 got some special attention. He may not be R2, but he certainly is reliable.
"Alright. Next time I leave the planet, I promise to return with green paint for you and C5. But until then, why don't you help your Aunt with the chores." Luke groans, but does as he's told easily. With a beep, C5 follows after the boy, leaving Anakin alone to return to his own room. Good. He'd love to spend more time talking about starfighters, but the sand is starting to get into his vocoder's mouthpiece and he'll be inhaling sand particles in a few minutes.
It feels like walking into a cockpit every time Anakin steps into his room. With all the wires and tools lining the walls, it's a wonder how the room hasn't caved yet. Half of it is simply because he needs so much machinery around him to continue functioning -he tries to pay Owen and Beru for the electricity it spends, but they refuse the money he gets from his hunts- but it's also an attempt to separate him from the tan walls. They remind him too much of the slave quarters in Mos Espa. Too much of his mother.
Laying down on the sad excuse for a bed -out of everything he misses from coruscant, actual beds are high on that list- Anakin goes through the motions of disconnecting his vocoder and sets up an air supply from the wall, breathing in pure vapor. From there, he can properly clean out the vocoder, as well as the rest of his limbs. It's a long process and one he dreads every day he spends here, but after the first year, he's started to appreciate it.
It's in these moments that Anakin feels something besides anger. Something more than hatred for the Hutts, Kenobi, and everyone stopping him from his goals. Now, all he can feel is peace.
Anakin after stealing baby Luke from Obi-Wan: I'll hide away in Tatooine! No one will expect me to go there!
Obi-wan: Was already going there.
I will add that Hutt-spawn is actually an insult used for everyone but those in the Hutt clan. Just wanted to clarify, in case anyone thought Obi-Wan was somehow related to them. And this will have more chapters! Can't say how often they'll come out, though.